


When I Kissed The Teacher

by NotCake01



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, F/M, Songfic-esque, Suggestive Themes, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 04:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20829575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotCake01/pseuds/NotCake01
Summary: LawxOC High School AU songfic-esque, slight NamixOC, rating is for language and suggestive themes, nothing graphic.Skylar just wants help with her geometry homework, it's not her fault her teacher (and best friend) is so damn distracting. When she does something neither of them expect, it leads to a long weekend of dodged conversations and kissing. Lots and lots of kissing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I got this idea about a week ago and it just would not leave my head, so here we are! Was supposed to be a songfic, one-shot, and instead ended up being 24 pages long. I really hope you enjoy!

“See, your lips are moving, but I can’t understand a word of what you’re saying.”

“Well maybe if you’d actually pay attention. What are you looking at anyway?” Trafalgar Law asked as he glanced around the room, trying to pinpoint where her gaze was focusing.

“N-nothing! I’m paying attention!” Skylar yelped, quickly looking back down at the homework she was working on, hoping to hide that she’d in fact been looking at _him._ “It’s not my fault you can’t explain it properly!” Law rolled his eyes.

“I’m explaining it fine, this isn’t even hard,” He told her, running his tattooed hand over his face and sending her another glare. They’d been at this for over an hour, and he was starting to get a headache.

“I can’t do math, I’m gay!” She glared right back up at him, though his expression remained neutral.

“Shut up, that’s not even an excuse. Besides, I thought you told _me_ you were ‘proudly bisexual and don’t you forget it’. Your words,” Law said through gritted teeth, reciting the same line she’d thrown at him a few months ago.

“Eh, close enough. If I don’t pass geometry this year, I’ll never get into a good school, and I’ll be known as the “Dumb Chick Who Can’t Do Math”, and nobody will wanna hire me, and my life _will_ be over!” Skylar, dramatic as ever, made it sound as though it were so obvious. Maybe to her it was. To Law, it was the height of ridiculousness. Then again, she’d always been like this, even when he met her his senior year.

“Stop being stupid. Read the problem again, out loud.”

“Heeeyyy, teachers can’t call students stupid to their face!” She pouted.

“Hm, my mistake. I’m still learning, after all,” Law smirked at her as she stuck her tongue out at him. “The problem, read it again.” She stared him down for a second, a battle of wills she knew she’d never win, then finally deflated and read the problem out with a sigh.

“A triangle has a perimeter of 50. If 2 of its sides are equal and the third side is 5 more than the equal sides, what is the length of the third side?”

“What’s your first step?” Law asked, sitting on the edge of her desk. Ok, so maybe he shouldn’t sit this close to a student, but there was nobody else in the classroom at this time, and they _were_ friends, whether he was her teacher or not. Skylar had study hall as her last period, and rather than spend it with Nico-sensei in the History wing like she was assigned, she often came here to the literature department to spend it with Donquixote-sensei (or Roci-sensei, as he preferred the students call him). He was her favorite teacher, and when Law took over the rest of the semester as an assistant teacher, it only made more sense for her to come here. Cora-san didn’t mind, and usually left the two alone to their work while he took care of making copies (and took the opportunity for an extra long smoke break).

“Start making guesses?” She questioned, smiling cheekily up at him. At his unamused expression she huffed. “Look, if I knew what my first step was, I probably wouldn’t be having so much trouble. I know we technically covered it in class, but it all went completely over my head, and the teacher does _not_ like to explain things twice. You remember, don’t you? Uuugh,” she groaned, rubbing her hands over her face. “I wish I could just do another year of algebra, that was so much easier. Oh man, and school’s almost done! I’m never gonna get this finished!” She cried, glancing at the clock. The bell would ring in less than 5 minutes.

  
  
“This basically is algebra, Skylar-ya, you just need to create the formula yourself. And, hey…” Skylar glanced up at him as he trailed off, an uncomfortable expression on his face that wouldn’t look at her. When he finally glanced in her direction, she looked absolutely dejected in a way that tugged at his chest where Law supposed a heart may reside. He chose to ignore that though. “If you’re having that much trouble with me explaining it, you can come over this weekend and we can keep working on it. I’m sure Cora-san would love to help you too,” Law quickly covered his tracks. Sure, she’d been over before, had even stayed a few weeks when she broke up with her ex, but that didn’t mean _he_ was invested in helping her. Cora-san, however, would likely have his ass if he didn’t _try_ to help her. Damn clumsy ass, cigarette smoki-

“Can I play with Bepo?” Skylar asked, hopeful.  


Law chose to ignore the flutter in his chest cavity as her expression lit up.

“For every question you finish correctly, you can give him one belly rub,” he said, rolling his eyes and glaring in the direction of the blackboard.  


“Hehe, you’re just jealous your dog loves me more. Ok, deal!” She smiled up at him briefly, then turned back to her homework. “Ok, first step...uhhhh….help?” Law shook his head with a slight smile, turning more towards her to explain the steps to the problem.

Skylar wished she could say she listened, truly she tried, but she quickly found herself once again being pulled into those gorgeous, golden eyes. There was something about the way they focused on the problem, how passionate he sounded about teaching, whether it was her or any of the other students in school.

She had asked him once, “why teaching?” When they’d first been introduced he’d wanted to be a heart surgeon, was the top of all his classes and well on his way to a top university. Only, when he actually started his college courses, he’d majored in education instead. He’d pushed through the program quickly, not even taking off for summer or winter breaks, and managed to graduate and land into an assistant teaching position at 21. Unfortunately for him, the only way Principal Donquixote would let him resume teaching at their school was if he shadowed the younger Donquixote brother for the year, which wasn’t an issue other than the subject. Law went to school to be a biology and anatomy teacher, with almost no focus on the written word. He wouldn’t complain, though; Law had wanted to remain close to home.

His explanation to her question had been a bit of a surprise, though she later realized it fit him perfectly: “I already know how to operate on someone should the need arise, why should I go to school for 16 years to get a piece of paper that _says_ I know how?” Skylar had thought about arguing the fact that without said “piece of paper”, he’d never be allowed near the tools needed to operate but ended up not pushing the issue. He was a good teacher, if stubborn, and she was happy to have him here, especially in these moments when she got him all to herself.

She’d unknowingly started to daze, entranced by him as she so often became in these moments, all thoughts of geometry and college and cute dogs thrown to the void as he leant over her homework. He was so close, close enough she could just catch his scent, feel his warmth, ever so barely. What would happen if she were to just inch forward _just_ a bit? Touch his scruffy cheek, place her lips on his? Would he pull away? Kiss her back?

Turns out she’d be getting her answer, for in her daze she’d done exactly as she’d been imagining. She came to awareness when she felt softness against her lips, a firm hand grasped around her wrist; her green eyes widened to reflect gold ones staring back at her, though they didn’t pull away. Other than a slight tinge in his cheeks, Law didn’t seem to react at all, and as Skylar realized what she’d done she quickly pulled away from him. 

Time seemed to still for a moment, both holding their breath as they processed what had happened. Law recovered first, partly, and his shocked red face turned into a soft smirk, almost a smile, brows furrowed, as Skylar’s burned in embarrassment. Her nerves were so on edge she nearly shrieked when the final bell rang, signaling her chance to escape. She quickly grabbed her homework off the desk, shoving it haphazardly into her bag, and nearly fell over it as she tried to simultaneously stand up and run out the door. Law watched her go, shoving his hands in his pockets as he scrunched his face in confusion over what just happened. He’d hoped his smirk had been disarming enough to hide his true reaction from her, but it didn’t change the fact that he now had a very big issue to deal with.

But first, he’d have to deal with the issue of _himself_.

“Ahh finally the end of the d-OOF!” Donquixote Rocinante announced his presence by tripping over his own feet and face planting into the floor, snapping Law back to reality before Cora-san noticed his dazed expression. “Oi, Law, your face is red? Are you feeling ok?” 

“Of course, I’m fine. Let’s just go home…”

* * *

“Hey, Skylar-chan! Are you even listening to me?”

Skylar blinked as Nami snapped her fingers in front of her eyes, bringing her crashing back down to Earth as they walked the long trek to Nami’s house. She’d been trying not to think about the events of study hall, which of course meant that was _all_ she could think about, and her face turned beet red once again.

“Sorry, Nami. What was that again?”

“Jeez, you’re out of it today,” Nami thought for a moment. “Something happened. Spill,” the orange-haired girl crossed her arms, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and blocking Skylar’s path. “Don’t think you’re getting out of telling me, either. Something’s bothering you, and I’m not above charging you until you tell me!”

“Ya know, most friends don’t charge money to _not_ hear about their friends’ problems,” Skylar tried to deflect, knowing it would do her no good in the end. Nami got what she wanted, and Skylar could never hide from her anyway.

“Spill, Skylar-chan. If I need to shake someone down, I can’t do it if you don’t tell me.” Nami said with a wink as they resumed their walk. Skylar took a deep breath to steady herself, though she was unsuccessful, and launched her tale at top speed.

“SoIMayOrMayNotHaveTotallyKissedLaw-IMeanTrafalgar-SenseiAndIDon’tKnowWhatCameOverMeButTheWorldIsDefinitelyEndingAndIWannaDieOfEmbarrassmentPleaseDon’tJudgeMe!!” She squeaked, clenching her eyes shut to avoid seeing Nami’s reaction. When she heard only silence, she tentatively glanced up at the taller woman, who’s eyebrows were raised in shock and confusion.

“Alright, I heard ‘kissed’, and ‘Trafalgar-sensei’, and ‘embarrassment’. Calm down, it’s really about time you know,” Nami said matter-of-factly, ignoring Skylar’s face turning redder and redder as she balked at her. That wasn’t the reaction she expected.

“No, it’s _not_ ‘about time’, Nami, it never should have happened! God, we’re friends, and I definitely screwed things up now. Not to mention he’s a _teacher,_ and it doesn’t matter that I’m 18, that’s gotta be against so many rules. The last thing I want is to get _him_ in trouble, and screw up this job for him, God why am I so stupid?!” She crashed into Nami as she wallowed, nearly ending up on her behind.

“Skylar, you’re not stupid. We all make mistakes, the best thing you can do is move on from it. Talk to him. You’ve been friends for years now, who cares if he’s a teacher?”

“Uuuugh I don’t think I can talk to him anytime soon. Shit! I said I’d go over this weekend to work on homework! I can’t face him this soon!” She ran her hands through her silver hair, pulling at the roots as her anxiety worked its way through her. Nami’s hands on her shoulders was the only thing that grounded her and kept her from spiraling further.

“I’m sure he doesn’t expect you to show up still, and even if he does, just say you got caught up with something I needed you for,” Nami told her, flashing a peace sign. “I’ll back you up, say we made you do chores all weekend to make up for us letting you stay here! Don’t worry, Skylar-chan, I’ve got your back!” 

Skylar gave her as best a smile as she could conjure, glad to have her as a friend. “I can do chores, you know. It’s not fair that you and Nojiko let me hog up your couch.”

“Nonsense! Your lovely company is plenty,” Nami told her, a slight suggestive purr in her voice. Skylar just rolled her eyes with a smile, especially when Nami continued, “Besides, Nojiko would kill me if I actually charged you for staying with us, so take the free stay while you can!”

“Thanks, Nami,” Skylar smiled genuinely, linking arms with the other girl and finishing the walk home.

* * *

**Peng: Hey u comin over to L house 2morrow?**

**Sky: Can you ever type full words?**

**Shach: I tihnk his brian wud impoloed if he tried 2 speel antng**

**Peng:....look whos talkin, wuz that even a real language?**

**Sky: I can’t come over tomorrow, I’ve gotta work. Besides, I don’t think Law wants to see me right now, today was kind of a weird day at school**

**Shach: Taht grreen guy finaly go 2 the rite class 4 once?**

**Sky: Wow that’s painful to look at...No, why would that matter? It’s nothing really, and no need to ask him about it I’m sure he’d say the same thing, it was just a crazy day and we probably should spend the weekend by ourselves, you know?**

**Peng: ok wat happened?**

**Shach: U and Lvrboi finaly comfessss ur luv 4 eac ohter?**

**Peng: Jesus Shachi look at a dictionary**

**Sky: STFU Shachi, I’m not in the mood**

**Peng: Seriously tho, was it sumthin 2 do with that? *seen by Skylar***

**Shach: ya tahts it! Spill! Ohterwiz well juts aks L aw 2 tel us**

**Peng: Shachi slow tf down! You’re incomprehensible!**

**Sky: Wow Penguin, I’m impressed!**

**Peng: STFU Skylar! DETAILS!**

**Sky: NO! I just kinda sorta maybe accidentally kissed him is all, do NOT make a big deal out of it you two!!**

***Penguin and Shachi are typing***

* * *

Skylar groaned as she threw her phone down on the floor, deciding to just ignore the continuous buzzing indicating group chat notifications. She loved Shachi and Penguin, really, she did, but this wasn’t something she wanted to discuss with them. They’d been friends for years, ever since she had accidentally ended up in their senior shop class as a freshman; but they were Law’s _best friends_. If they really thought he’d talk to them about what happened, they should go to him first. Right now? Skylar just wanted to forget the whole thing. Just for a while.

She lay back on Nami’s bed, legs dangling over the edge, as she waited for her to return from showering. She listened to the sounds of Nojiko finishing up in the kitchen downstairs while she played with her pajama top, glancing all around the room for something to focus on before she went back to thinking about _that_.

Too late.

It was all she could remember: his hand on her wrist, the soft press of their lips together, the look he gave her when she pulled away, it all played like a movie montage in her mind. When she closed her eyes, she could still feel his warmth, still recall the scent of antiseptic and cedarwood that clung to him. It wasn’t until she heard a soft giggle that she opened her eyes and realized she’d been touching her lips, too engrossed in the memory.

“My, that is an interesting shade of red you’re turning, Skylar-chan,” Nami teased from the doorway, clad in short shorts and a tank top and her hair wrapped in a towel. “You’re gonna make me think more than just a kiss happened.”

“Don’t tease me right now, please, Nami...I’m really trying not to think about it.”

Nami frowned as she made her way into her bedroom, closing the door behind her and dropping the towel. She lay on her side next to Skylar, head resting in her palm, looking over her friend with concern in her eyes.

“Skylar, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Take the weekend to relax, but you’re gonna have to see him eventually.” She reached out and rubbed Skylar’s arm, trying to offer some comfort. Skylar grabbed her hand, turning her head slightly to face her.

“What if I totally screwed up our friendship, Nami? Like...everyone else already knew I liked him, but now _he_ knows too, and not even because I told him, but because I acted completely without thinking….I’m so _stupid_, Nami,” Skylar sniffled, trying to hold back tears. “I can handle liking him and nothing coming from it, but I don’t think I can handle completely cutting him off from my life. We’ve been friends through so many moments in my life.” She wiped at her eyes. “Getting kicked out of my parents’ house, my breakup with Mimi, just general teenage angst..._God._” She promptly burst into tears, Nami immediately reaching out and holding her close as she sobbed. The girls lay like that for a few minutes, Nami rubbing circles in Skylar’s back to help calm her down.

Eventually, Skylar rolled back over, sniffling, and rubbed the leftover tears from her eyes. She blinked at the ceiling once, twice, then turned back to Nami with a small smile. “Thanks, Nami. Sorry for freaking out like that.”

“It’s ok, Skylar-chan. Do you want me to come with you when you talk to him?” Skylar shook her head.

“No, no I’ll be ok. I’m a big girl,” she let out a laugh at Nami’s wink. “Thank you, really. Ugh it’s gonna be so hard to get through this weekend. I’m honestly so embarrassed!” She laughed, mind wandering once again. “I wish I could just...forget for a little while. Pretend it didn’t happen so I can relax enough to fall asleep.” Nami gave her a sly look.

“I may be able to help with that…” She trailed off, lightly trailing her fingers along Skylar’s arm, raising goosebumps. Skylar glanced at her, a small smirk on her face as she thought about Nami’s offer. It wouldn’t be their first time, and with the way things were going in her love life it probably wouldn’t be the last either. It wouldn’t mean anything, it never did, it would just be a way to blow off some steam and relax before bed.

Nami waited for Skylar to answer before making a move, fully ready to just go to sleep if the answer was “no”, but she was pleasantly surprised by the feeling of soft lips pressed against hers, shy and tentative in a way only Skylar seemed to manage, saying just enough for Nami to take control of the situation.

Nami ran her hands through Skylar’s silver locks, lifting onto her elbows to lean the other girl down onto her back. She kissed her cheek, her jaw, her nose, then back to her lips, parting them easily before sliding her tongue between Skylar’s teeth. Skylar’s hands rested on Nami’s shoulders, one hand sliding up behind the girl’s head to grasp her orange hair. 

Nami moved her knee between the other girl’s thighs, pressing gently against her core while her hands wandered to the hem of her shirt. They broke their kissing for only a moment, just long enough for them both to remove their tops, before going right back to it, hands roaming over naked torsos and supple flesh. Small gasps escaped each girl’s mouth in between kisses, and as Nami moved to kiss Skylar’s neck, her hands pinned the girl to the bed by the wrists, and Skylar rocked her hips against the other girl’s knee.

The sweet little whimpers escaping from Skylar’s mouth drove Nami crazy, urging her on though she was loathe to rush too quickly. She leaned back, quickly removing Skylar’s shorts and underwear as well as her own, leaving them both exposed to the elements. Skylar shivered under Nami’s hungry gaze, squirming slightly in anticipation. Nami just let her eyes explore her body for a moment, drinking in the sight before her, before once again kissing the girl before her. Skylar always did look so beautiful like this.

Before long the girls fell into a tangle of limbs, naked, panting, moaning through the night before finally passing out in a sweaty mess with their arms around each other. Skylar didn’t dream of wayward kisses that night, and instead slept soundly, as if she hadn’t slept in days.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ok, but was it like, a kiss? Or a _kiss_?” 

“Aw man, what if it was _more_ than a kiss?

Law’s eyebrow twitched as Penguin and Shachi continued to speculate what exactly happened between him and Skylar. Apparently, she’d let it slip through a text and then left him to deal with the mess. That on top of the fact that _it happened_ had him ready to tear his brain out and throw it through a window. It was only a _kiss_, for God’s sake, how did this become such a mess?

“If you’re just gonna keep badgering me, I’m leaving.” He said, standing up and calling Bepo over. The samoyed hurried to him, claws clacking against the hardwood floor as Law got his leash ready. Sometimes Law had to wonder how he, a man who’d shunned all thoughts of pets in his childhood, had ended up with such a close relationship with one. Bepo had shown up a few years ago, eating scraps out of their garbage cans as a puppy. Law had thought about shooing him away, but then he turned those puppy eyes on him, and he hadn’t been able to. Not that he wanted that information to get out. He usually blamed it on Cora-san.

“Aw come on, Law! You guys have gotta give us something!”

“It sounds like she did give you something. I’m under no obligation to give you more. In fact, I’ve practically forgotten about it already. It was a kiss, now let. It. Go.” He ground out, letting Bepo lead him out the door. He left it open, sure the two would follow after a moment, and as he heard their footsteps thundering down the street after him, he knew he was right.

“Fine, fine, we’ll let it go. For now,” Penguin grinned at him.

“Give it a couple hours, get you to let your guard down a bit. We’ll get our answers,” Shachi continued, also grinning from Law’s other side. Law just stared ahead with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, now I’ll be expecting it, so thanks for the warning.”

“Dammit!”

They walked a few blocks, enjoying the sun and the fresh air. A few clouds filled the sky, but Law wasn’t worried about rain, and the warm breeze did wonders to help lift his mood as Penguin and Shachi bickered behind him about something or another. 

“Oh hey, she’s working today, right? We should go visit!” Penguin said, innocently. Law’s fist clenched around Bepo’s leash as he realized they were right outside the restaurant Skylar worked at. He stared at the building, jaw clenching as he tried to come to a decision. 

On the one hand, if the kiss was really no big deal, he should be able to act like a professional about it, ignore it ever happened. He’d be able to just go through his life like he always did, including visiting her for an early dinner like they’d always been able to do in the past. Even as her teacher, as long as no lines were crossed, he’d been able to still maintain a friendly relationship with Skylar without issue. If it was truly no big deal, he’d be able to move past it without issue.

On the other hand, he probably shouldn’t stoke the flames of what had been an awkward encounter. He had no idea what her feelings were regarding the incident, and he didn’t need her getting the wrong idea. Professionally, he should keep his distance. Personally, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to have a conversation with her right now anyway.

He’d never admit it to his friends, even with their constant badgering, but Law _hadn’t_ been able to stop thinking about what happened. He’d gone over it multiple times in his head; the way he’d been leaning close to her, close enough to catch the peppermint scent of her shampoo, how her soft hand had felt against his cheek when she’d touched him, how dainty her wrist felt when he’d grabbed it out of surprise. But most of all it was her lips, so soft and delicate and _warm_ and why couldn’t he stop thinking about it? Why couldn’t he get her face out of his head; when she’d realized what she’d done and their eyes met, shocked and surprised and yet not _upset_, almost as if they’d both _liked_ it-

He cut his thoughts off with a shake of his head. Bepo rubbed against his legs affectionately, sensing his tension, and Shachi and Penguin stared at him, waiting for an answer.

“You guys go, I’ve got papers to grade. Have fun,” he turned, ready to leave, then stopped and turned back towards them. “Shachi, can you help her with geometry? I was supposed to…” Law trailed off, not needing to say it, and Shachi nodded. And so Law walked off, leaving them pouting before they finally turned to enter the building. As he turned the corner, he felt like slapping himself, but he let Bepo lead them the three blocks back home, hoping that maybe he’d be able to drown himself in book reports and term papers so he wouldn’t have to deal with this anymore.

* * *

“Skylar-chwaaaan!~ Do you have table 3 ready, darling?”

“Right here, Sanji! Still waiting for sides, though,” Skylar called back to the blond cook.

“OI! WHO’S GOT MY FRIES?!” He then yelled to the other cook on duty. It really wasn’t fair, she thought, as the guy _was_ new, but then again how hard was it to keep fries warm? She’d also caught him eating cheese curds off the line the other night, she supposed, so she shouldn’t be surprised at Sanji’s anger.

The nice thing about working on a Saturday evening was it went quick, quick enough that Skylar couldn’t focus on anything other than orders. Her break was fast approaching, though, and for the first time she was dreading it. Maybe she could work through it without Sanji or the owner noticing. She dashed that thought as soon as she had it. Sanji was so tuned into the girls working there, he’d know immediately if she missed her break. There goes that idea.

As if to further cement her luck, just then Shachi and Penguin walked in, just barely visible to her from the kitchen. They waved to her, shouted to come join them when she went on break, and the hostess, Pudding, hurriedly showed them to a table on the other side of the dining room. She didn’t see any sign of a certain teacher though, so maybe she’d gotten somewhat lucky. Not likely.

“Skylar-chwan, you can go on break now!~ I’ll take care of everything, don’t you worry your pretty head,” Sanji told her, nearly floating off the linoleum floor as he came near her. 

“Thanks, Sanji. I’ll be back in a half hour. If you get a chance in between orders, can you make me a special? Don’t worry about it if you’re busy, I can always eat later.”

  
“Nonsense! I’ll start it now!” Sure enough, as soon as he turned around the pile of tickets he’d already had got shoved further back as he started on something that _definitely_ wasn’t on the menu, but she knew better than to scold him. Besides, when the owner’s your adopted father you can pretty much do whatever you want. And if he couldn’t, that was Zeff’s problem.

Skylar made her way over to Penguin and Shachi’s table, silently sitting down in the booth next to Shachi while sucking on her straw. She took off her bandana, running her fingers through sweat-soaked silver hair, as she braced herself for what was sure to be a dinner full of awkward questioning.

“Alright, lay it on me,” she told them, crossing her arms and leaning back.

“Nah, we’ll let you eat first,” Shachi said around a mouthful of breadsticks. She and Penguin grimaced, watching as bits of bread flew onto the table.

“Remind me why we let you out in public?” Penguin asked him. Shachi just flipped him off, and Skylar set her head in her hand as she waited for her food. No way was she touching those breadsticks now. All around her, she could hear the grumblings of people waiting for their food, wondering why it was taking so long. Maybe hers would take a while too, and then she’d have no time for questioning after she finished eating.

Her hopes were dashed when Sanji himself delivered her food a moment later.

“Man, you always get such special treatment,” Shachi complained, continuing to wait for his own meal.

“Believe me, if you want his attention instead, I won’t complain. Not sure you’re his type though.”

“Yeah, you gotta grow a pair of tits first, Shach,” Penguin snickered. Shachi threw a breadstick at him.

“Yeah, or dye your hair moss green,” Skylar laughed, avoiding her own breadstick as just then the waitress delivered their own dishes. “So, just you guys today, huh?” Why did she ask that?

“Wondering where your boy toy is?” Penguin asked with a smile. There were no more breadsticks. “He was with us, but he said he had papers to grade.”

“Oh, gotcha…” Skylar trailed off, continuing to eat her seafood pasta. She may curse the special treatment, but _damn_ if that boy couldn’t cook. 

“There was a pretty big stack of them in his living room. He’s probably not avoiding you, Skylar-chan.” Penguin shot Shachi a glare.

“Nice, that’ll make her feel better.”

“I feel fine! For crying out loud, you guys, I said to let it go!”

“Come ooooon, we’re curious! He won’t say anything, and you haven’t let anything else slip, so all we can do is speculate!”

“There’s nothing to speculate! It’s exactly as I told you. _Just_ a kiss, totally on accident, and _never_ going to happen again. Now let me fucking eat, you animals!” She hadn’t meant to snap, but she wished they’d drop it already. She just wanted to move on, she didn’t want to continue to be too embarrassed to even _think_ about Law.

Shachi looked as though he was about to keep pestering her, but Penguin’s hand on his shoulder stopped him, and the three quietly continued their meal. At the end of Skylar’s 30-minute break she bid them farewell, promising to message them later that weekend when she was available.

“Oh, hey wait! I almost forgot! Wanna get together after your shift and work on your math? I was told you needed some help with it,” Skylar bit her cheek, annoyed because she knew Law had put him up to this. He was good at math, though, and was going to school for engineering.

“I don’t think I’ll have time, actually. I close tonight, so I won’t be done until probably close to 1:00. I’ll let you know though, ok? Thanks, Shachi.” They waved goodbye, and Skylar went back to the kitchen to scold Sanji for holding up the other tables. 

The rest of her shift passed in a blur; Sanji went home, then Pudding, and before long it was just Skylar and the new guy, whose name she still couldn’t remember. Oh well. They went to lock the door behind the last waitress, and Skylar was surprised when he asked to go home early. Something about homework. _I can relate..._she thought, and so she let him go, locking the doors behind him. Skylar then spent another hour cleaning the kitchen top to bottom, scraping the grill and oven racks, not leaving even an inch unclean. Part of it was because she knew Zeff, and Sanji, took pride in their kitchen, and so she wanted to reflect that. The other reason was it allowed her to forget things for just a little longer. She wasn’t worried about the time, it was a nice night and it wouldn’t take too long to walk to Nami’s, so she didn’t let herself worry about taking too long to clean up.

Though she should have, she thought, dismayed when she went to leave and saw that it was pouring rain. Great. She thought about calling Nami, or Nojiko, but one glance at the clock told her it was much too late to be making phone calls. They were used to her couch surfing on occasion after work, so there was no reason to think they stayed up for her. She took another look outside, unsure if it was her imagination or if the rain was actually lightening up, then squared her shoulders and headed outside, locking the door behind her. 

“Just down a few side alleys and I’ll be home free, no worse for wear,” she told herself, figuring the roof cover the alleyways provided would be enough to keep her from getting sick, and set off vaguely in the direction of Nami’s house.

* * *

“Don’t give me that look, you’re the one who wanted to take a walk in the rain,” Law told the soaking wet and _pouting_ white dog in front of him. He was currently trying to share Law’s umbrella, which unfortunately meant he was getting water all over Law’s pants and shoes. “Come on, the rain’s letting up anyway. We’re almost home, Bepo.” He led the dog forward along their usual route, once again passing the restaurant Skylar worked at. He glanced at the building briefly, remembering the text he’d gotten from Shachi earlier that evening and wondering if she’d made it home ok. Hopefully she hadn’t gotten caught in the rain.

They passed the bar, few patrons still milling around this close to closing, and Law considered ducking through the alley as a shortcut. The rain had lessened into merely a drizzle, but he didn’t want to make Bepo stay outside soaking wet for longer than he had to. He’d been so lost in thought as they turned down the alleyway, he hadn’t noticed Bepo now growling, pulling slightly at the leash. When he gave a sharp tug, Law finally looked up, and his blood ran cold. Two men blocked the alley, silver hair pressed against the wall as she pushed them away.

“I said ‘Leave me alone’!” Skylar yelled, pushing against one of the guys while the other kept trying to push her back against the wall. 

Law let the leash go.

“What the fuck?! Where’d this dog come from?!” Meanwhile, the other screamed as Bepo clenched his jaw around his ankle, not letting go no matter how much the guy shook his leg. Skylar stood in shock as Law barrelled down the alley, catching his fist on the side of the other guy’s head, knocking him into the wall on the other side of the alley. That was all it took to knock him out, and so Law turned to the other guy. 

“L’em go...l-lemme go,” he slurred, drunk, and Law simply hit him over the head with the base of his umbrella, knocking him out as well. Bepo released his ankle, revealing he hadn’t even broken the skin, and Law pat him on the head as he turned to the girl behind him. She was soaking wet, indicating she’d been caught in the rain before, and she was _shaking_. 

Law briefly recognized the scenario he was in: the student he’d kissed only yesterday in his classroom was shaking and soaking wet in front of him. There was potential for disaster there. But that wasn’t important right now. 

“Are you hurt?” He asked, voice low. She shook her head, not looking at him as she crossed her arms protectively in front of herself. “Skylar-ya…?”

“They didn’t do anything. Didn’t get that far,” she spoke to the ground, cheeks turning a slight shade of red as he continued looking her over, searching for any sign of injury or distress. All he could find was the shaking, and it finally dawned him she was likely _cold_, so he handed her his umbrella. She looked at it, surprised, then squeaked and looked quickly away as Law removed his hoodie, leaving his chest bare to the cool night breeze. He barely registered it as he thrust the hoodie in Skylar’s direction, glancing away from her. She stared at him for half a second before finally grabbing it from him, pulling it over her wet clothes as Bepo tried (and failed) to share his warmth with her. “Thank you,” she swallowed, burrowing her face into the hood. She may or may not have sniffed it. He may or may not have seen. “You had to bring the yellow one, huh?” She joked, making an attempt to lighten the mood as they set off towards the road. The rain had long since left, and neither wanted to spend any more time in that alley.

“Next time I take Bepo for a walk this late, I’ll be sure to wear a color that doesn’t offend you so much.” Skylar winced slightly, unsure by his tone if he was joking or not.

“It’s fine, at least it’s warm. I’ll make sure to wash it before I return it to you,” she told him, continuing to look at the ground while they walked.

“You realize you’re not going to Nami-ya’s tonight, right?”

“W-what do you mean? It’s not that far.”

“It’s practically across town. You’re freezing, you need to get warm or you could get sick.” Skylar huffed.

“I thought you weren’t a doctor. I don’t see no medical license,” she stuck her tongue out at him, but followed after him anyway in the direction of his and Roci-sensei’s house.

“I don’t need a license to tell you you’re staying at my place tonight to warm up. Besides, it’s late. It’ll be safer this way.” She didn’t have an argument against that, and instead bit her cheek as she tried not to glance at his chest. _God, he’s got tattoos everywhere!_

“Ugh,” Skylar groaned, drawing Law’s attention. “I’m such a fucking cliche…” She pouted, and Law let out a low chuckle as they continued back to his house.

* * *

“Here, I’ll get you some of my old clothes and you can take a shower,” Law spoke quietly when they entered his house. Skylar stood in the entryway while he ran upstairs to his bedroom, and Bepo plopped right in front of the heater to dry off. “You can come in, you know. It’s not like you’ve never been here before.” Law stood in front of her, and she quickly looked at the floor as she shuffled over to the stairs. She was doing everything in her power not to stare at his tattoos, but he wasn’t making it easy on her. Law followed her up, pausing outside the bathroom to hand her the pair of shorts he’d found. “I don’t wear these, and you can just use the hoodie to sleep in.”

“Thank you,” Skylar said for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, taking the clothing from him. “I’ll just leave my clothes to dry in here, if that’s ok?” He nodded, and she closed the door. He waited to hear the stream of the shower before ducking into his room again to find his own pajamas. While he was there, he quickly straightened up, as best as he could anyway, and made the bed as well, trying not to dwell on the turn his night had taken. He hadn’t expected to run into her so soon, let alone like that. The memory of what he’d almost walked in on made his blood boil, the thought of her being hurt making him want to dissect both of those men. He took a deep breath, deciding to focus on something else to stem his anger. Something like her wearing his hoodie. Suddenly, Law’s neck grew hot, the image of her in his clothing something that had hit him like a freight train. 

So far since the classroom incident, he’d been able to pass off his reaction as just surprise. But seeing her in the yellow hoodie had been different. It was _attractive_. And now she was going to spend the night in _his_ room, wearing more of _his _clothes. He already regretted the fact he didn’t have any clean underwear for her, knowing she’d either wear her wet undergarments, or…

He gulped, eyes wide and clenching his teeth in an attempt to halt where that thought was leading. He was still her teacher. He needed to keep a clear head.

It wasn’t long before she’d finished, leaving the door mostly closed to shield the fact her undergarments were laying across the porcelain tub.

“You can use my room; I’ll sleep on the couch.” Law went to leave her to it, but her voice stopped him.

“Law!” He looked at her, paused at the top of the stairs. “Uhmm...a-are you sure? I don’t wanna take your room from you.”

“It’s fine, Skylar-ya.” She nodded, still seeming unsure.

“Oh, ok. Uhh, then, Law...I-”

“Skylar,” Law said, making her look up in surprise at his tone. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t identify, and she felt her neck grow hot under that intense stare. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Skylar felt her shoulders relax as he turned around, heading downstairs, and she headed into his room. Suddenly she felt exhausted, like she could burst into tears, and relieved all at once. She climbed into his bed, forgoing covers for the time being. A moment later, Bepo came plodding inside, jumping up to snuggle beside her as he often enjoyed doing. She ran her fingers through his fur, trying to fall asleep, but found herself too keyed up to relax. Too much had happened tonight, and the shower hadn’t been enough to settle her nerves. She was also distracted by the fact that she was in his _room_, in his _bed_, surrounded by _him_. How the hell was she supposed to sleep? 

She’d technically been in here before, briefly, but she’d never had the chance to really look around. Sure, she probably shouldn’t snoop, but...she couldn’t sleep anyway, so what harm was there? When would she get this opportunity again? And she was all about taking chances this weekend, apparently.

Skylar sat up in bed, glancing around the room. It seemed like he’d hastily cleaned it up; she could see clothes piled in the closet stopping it from closing all the way. The desk under the window remained cluttered, papers and books everywhere, and she had to smile at that. The dark walls were bare except for a poster of the human body, male and female, and a cork board on the far side filled with sketches she recognized as Penguin’s, schematics of some kind or another, and polaroids she’d given to him last Christmas of the four of them (five including Bepo, who was now watching her roam around his master’s room from his position on the bed). The only other furniture was a couch, nearly invisible under the piles of yet more papers if not for the obnoxiously bright yellow color. She’d given him so much shit for that couch when he picked it out, but the color had secretly grown on her. It matched his eyes...

* * *

Law tossed and turned on the couch downstairs, removing the blanket then pulling it back over his long body, staring at the ceiling in the dark then turning to stare into his pillow instead. He was no stranger to insomnia, but he wished he’d at least had the forethought to grab some of his work from his room before sending Skylar to bed. Which, of course, only reminded him…

Skylar was in his room. In his bed.

_So what? GO TO SLEEP!_

He pressed his palms into his eyes, trying not to groan too loud. He was glad he’d shown up when he did, obviously, and he’d snuck a few extra treats into Bepo’s food dish for his part in the “rescue”, but it unfortunately had done nothing for his conflicted feelings. He sat up and glanced at the clock on the kitchen stove, groaning when he saw it was already 3:00 am. Maybe he could sneak in quickly?

Law crept upstairs, minding the squeaky step at the top, and plodded down the hall to his room. He was surprised to find Skylar still up, staring at the anatomy poster above his desk. So much for sneaking in. He paused at the doorway, just taking in her appearance. Silver hair down around her ribs, curling slightly from the shower, his yellow hoodie covering her small frame. It was really a shame she hated yellow so much, he thought. She looked damn good in it.

As if she’d heard him, she whipped around, green eyes wide in surprise as she realized she’d been caught. They stood frozen, just staring at each other for a few moments before Law finally took a few steps forward, entering the room completely. They were both hyper aware of the fact they were only a few steps away from each other. Law spoke first.

“I just came to grab something to work on. Didn’t expect you to still be up.” Skylar nodded, attempting to step out of his way. Instead she managed to step on her own foot, and went plummeting to the floor.

Law had often lamented her clumsiness, reminded too much of Cora-san and deciding he really didn’t need _two_ of them in his life, but here he was; hopelessly attached to two sunshine-filled, clumsy ass, _dorks_, who caused him an endless amount of headaches and exasperation-

-She was saved from hitting the floor by a strong, tattooed arm catching her around the middle, inadvertently pulling her close during the motion. And he _was_ close; his heartbeat thudded in her ears (or was that hers?), and she stared straight ahead at uncovered tattoos, still not fully comprehending what had happened just yet.

His head felt cloudy as he felt her hands on his chest, her breath dancing across the ink on his skin, and _was that his heartbeat beating so loud_? His breath hitched as her fingers moved, tracing lightly across the images, and he watched her lift her gaze to his, something in her eyes he _chose_ not to identify. Before he could think twice about it Law was leaning towards her -_or was she moving towards him- _his lips brushed against hers, barely a whisper, then again, more firm. Before he knew what was happening, his hands were buried in her hair, pulling her ever closer as he kissed her hungrily. 

Skylar’s hands wrapped around his shoulders, standing on her tiptoes to gain better access, but Law appeared to have a better idea, as he picked her up and placed her on the bed, still standing in front of her but pressing close, _so close _to her body. His hands roamed down her back, to her hips, across her stomach under the hoodie, and some distant part of his brain remarked that she was naked under her borrowed clothes, having forgone her wet undergarments for the night, and his brain stopped working as he ground against her in his thin sweatpants, eliciting the sweetest moan when he kissed under her jaw-

-_Snap! _Law felt as though she’d thrown a cold bucket of water over him when she moaned, pulled him from the depths of his awareness. He was almost shocked to find himself panting, hands still gripped in her hair and on her hip. He stayed frozen in that position, staring wide-eyed at the black bedspread beneath them.

_What was he doing?!_

“Law…?” Skylar questioned, tentative, almost shy, anxiety crawling through her gut into her throat. Law swallowed, took a deep breath, and relaxed his grip on her. Despite himself, he placed a quick kiss to her cheek, whispered in her ear, and managed to pull himself away against his body’s _screaming_ to stay put and finish what he’d started. He left the room, giving Bepo one quick pat on the head as he passed him, and headed to the bathroom for a cold shower.

After he closed the door, he nearly collapsed against it, head in his hand as he breathed deep to relax himself. Then he looked up and saw her clothes drying where they lay over the tub, including a pair of simple white panties, and his breath hitched, and he rubbed his temples. “Fucking degenerate,” he scolded himself, ignoring the articles of clothing and starting the shower.

A _very_ cold shower, then.

Skylar, meanwhile, still sat in her place on his bed, absentmindedly stroking Bepo’s fur as he’d resumed his spot next to her. Her mind reeled as she kept replaying the encounter over and over again, long after she heard the roar of the shower down the hall. Her hand rested on her lips, the other wrapped around herself comfortingly, and she finally laid down the rest of the way.

_“Try to get some sleep, Skylar-ya.” _That’s what he’d told her, right before walking out of the room. And here she thought he couldn’t tell jokes. If she wasn’t confused before, she definitely was now.

She still lay there wide awake when the shower finally shut off. She glanced to the hallway as he walked past. He didn’t enter again.


	3. Chapter 3

_Squeak_

“Dammit!”

Law’s head snapped up to see Skylar glaring at the floor, clad once again in her black shirt and pants from the night before, the clothes she’d borrowed wrapped in a bundle under her arm. He watched her make her way over to the closet that housed the washing machine, and throw them in. “I figured I can go ahead and at least clean up after myself to make up for your help last night. Do you want breakfast at all? Lord knows you can’t cook worth a damn,” she joked as she started the wash, walking towards the kitchen and not noticing the reserved look on his face as she began opening and closing cupboards.

“Skylar-ya,” Law started, unsure how to broach the subject. “We need to talk about last night.” He heard her pause, just slightly, before resuming her search.

“You know, you guys really need to do a better job grocery shopping. At the risk of sounding sexist, you boys are such, well..._boys_. Anyway, what’s up?” She was playing dumb, they both knew it, and as he leaned against the counter across from her, she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Skylar-ya, what happened last night can’t happen again,” He scolded, and he didn’t notice the shift in her stance, the hardening of her features. “You may be an adult, but while you’re in school it would be wrong.”

“So, what, you’re saying it’s my fault?” She didn’t snap. In fact, she spoke so quietly Law had to strain to hear her. She was glaring at the floor, arms crossed in front of herself as she chewed her bottom lip.

“No, we both made mistakes. It never should’ve happened in the first place. Until you graduate, it’s best if we both keep our distance, but...if you wanted to, we could try after that.” It was a big admission for him. This whole weekend, Law had been fighting every inkling of thought regarding the kiss in his classroom, every hint of a feeling he had towards it and her. It was complicated and messy, and he didn’t _do_ complicated and messy; but after last night, how could he continue to ignore it? Unfortunately, regardless of any feelings he may be admitting to himself, his job wouldn’t allow him to act on them for at least another month. His hope by putting his feelings out there, was that she’d agree, see reason, and in a month they’d see where it leads.

“You’re such a fucking asshole!” 

_That_ wasn’t what he’d expected.

“You expect me to just wait for you? Like I’m just supposed to forget about everything that’s happened, and then a month from now you’ll pick me back up?! How _dare_ you?! Don’t talk down to me as if I’ve been_ throwing myself_ at you, like you just can’t resist when you’re near me, so _I’m_ the one that needs to _back off_! If you were really that concerned about your goddamn ‘professional anonymity’, then you should’ve cut off all friendly contact when you started teaching at _my school_! God, this whole time I’ve been so goddamn worried about what could happen to _you_, your _job_, our _friendship_, but you haven’t given me even a single _fucking_ thought have you? Well, you know what? It’s fine, I _get_ it, you’re just a _fucking tease_! Well, I’m sick of falling for it!” Skylar stomped to the door, wrenching it open and pausing on the step. “Thanks for the help last night. Goodbye, Trafalgar-sensei.”

And she was gone.

And Law still stood in the kitchen, staring at the front door as if he’d been slapped. Bepo whined, settling down next to him and giving him a dejected look. He furrowed his brows.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he muttered, clenching his jaw and glaring at the floor. He kept replaying her words, replaying the image of her as she laid into him. She’d been trying to hide it, but he’d seen the tears in her eyes. They hit him like a punch to the gut, that _he_ caused them. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew she’d be upset no matter what he said, but he didn’t know just how hard it would hit her. 

“Aww, Skylar-chan couldn’t stay for breakfast? Lover’s quarrel?” Donquixote Rocinante, though Law had always called him Cora-san, walked in through the back door, tossing his used cigarette on the ground before stamping it out.

“Tch, you’re on fire again,” Law sneered at him, trying and failing to keep it from turning into a pout. Cora-san had the uncanny ability to make him feel like he was 13 years old again. “And what the hell are you talking about?” He snapped as the older man put himself out in the sink.

“Oh Law, everyone knows about it, stop with the denial,” he said it with a smile on his face, but Law still felt the scolding in his voice. “Look, you may not need me to play ‘dad’ for you anymore, but let me give you some advice anyway. Don’t let her go. You screw this up, you’ll end up regretting it forever.” Law just stared at the floor, clenching and unclenching his jaw, feeling so very small.

“So, what, you’re an expert on my lovelife now? You can’t possibly condone this. You of all people know the trouble I can get in for pursuing a relationship with a student.” One of them had to sound reasonable.

“I can’t report anything if I don’t see it happening. Besides, Doffy’s a dick. You know nobody at the school really gives a shit if any rules are broken, nobody wants to deal with him. You’re both adults, it’s legal enough. If you’re worried, just don’t make it obvious until after graduation.”

“You say that like it’s so easy...I don’t want to screw up this job. I can’t…” Law took a breath. “I don’t want to let you down.” And there it was, the root of it. The reason he’d gone into teaching, despite a high interest in the medical field. Why he wanted to stay close to home, teach at the same school he’d grown up in. Why he was _so scared_ of starting something with a girl he’d grown to care for more than he’d ever planned on, at the risk of everything he was working for blowing up in his face. 

He vaguely registered Cora-san kneeling in front of him. This man that had taken him, a surly, angsty, _vile_ fucking teenager, into his home and his family. This man that had cared for him, helped him turn his life around after his family’s sickness. This man that he couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing. Law couldn’t look at him, he already felt ashamed.

“Law,” Cora-san said softly, then repeated once when Law didn’t look up right away. “All I want is for you to be happy. I think we both know what would help with that.” Law grimaced at the smile he was giving him, annoyed with the conversation. Both because he was being lectured at 21 years old, and because he knew Cora-san was right.

“Still parenting me, hm?” The older man laughed. “Well as nice as that speech was, I’ve probably already fucked it all up.”

“She’ll come around. Though, you may need to _actually_ put some effort into it.”

* * *

“Thanks again for helping me finish this damn homework assignment, Nami. I’ll make you a free lunch next time I’m at work.”

“Don’t bother, Sanji-kun already gives me my meals free.” Of course he does. “Instead, you can buy me those really cute Criminal shirts we saw in the mall last week!”

“Th-th-those are worth 3 of my payche-! Argh, fine. It’s not like I pay rent, after all.” Nami sent her a wink as they walked into their first class, and Skylar felt her nerves increase as she saw _him_ sitting at the desk. Nojiko hadn’t let her stay home, not that she could really afford to miss class anyway. He looked up as she entered, gold eyes locking with green ones, and she quickly turned her head away, taking her seat. 

Law let out a low sigh, having expected her to not be in the mood to talk so soon. However, expecting it didn’t stop his gut from clenching. Emotions were so messy. He watched her chit chat with the other students, friends she didn’t hang out with much but was now fervently invested in their weekend activities. She was sure laying it on thick.

“Alright, sit down and take out your journals.” Groans ensued followed by the rustle of papers. He smirked at the class’s dismay, walking up to the chalkboard to write down their assignment. He’d been giving them a journaling prompt every Monday since he took over the class, figuring it would wake them up from the weekend, and give himself an opportunity to slack off while they wrote. “Today’s prompt is ‘name’. It’s simple, write something using your name in some way. Don’t hurt yourselves thinking about it.” A few chuckles, though most rolled their eyes at him. “We’ll take 20 minutes. Get to work.” The scritch scratch of pencil on paper filled the room, and Law started back to his desk, then paused. “Zoro-ya, for the 36th time this year. This. Is. Not. Your. Classroom.”

“Eh?” The green haired boy’s head shot up, confusion plastered across his face. “What do you mean? You all must’ve gone to the wrong room again.” The rest of the class burst into a fit of giggles, and Law rolled his eyes before waving the kid off. So much for slacking off. As they finished their writing, he made a quick phone call to the weight room where he knew Smoker was holding P.E. that day, informing him that his missing student was there, and then added his name to the class’s roster for that day. The school had practically needed to reevaluate its attendance policy because of this kid.

The rest of class dragged on. Law spent the whole period trying to catch Skylar’s attention, engage her, but she just kept her head down, focused on her work. The only time she showed interest was when he assigned the homework: start reading Pride and Prejudice and answer the first page of questions on the study guide. The bell rang; she ran out the door before he could blink.

Law gathered up the journal assignments, searching hers out first - _like a damn lovesick puppy, you’re disgusting_ \- and furrowed his brows when he reached it. She’d written an acrostic, using her name for the letters.

**Stupid**

**Kid**

**Yelling**

**Loudly**

**At**

**Recreants**

Now, Law wasn’t a vocabulary master, he’d gone to school for science after all, so he wasn’t ashamed at having to pull out a dictionary. “Classy, Skylar,” he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

**RECREANT: NOUN, COWARD.**

* * *

School passed quickly, which Skylar was especially thankful for when she turned her geometry assignment in. Crocodile-sensei sneered down at her when she handed it to him, looking at her like she was a bug. She wasn’t his best student, which was painfully obvious to most, but at least she’d _finished_ it this time.

After Geometry was History, another subject that Skylar enjoyed, though the teacher, Nico Robin, tended to deliver her lectures in a very deadpan manner. It was more up to the students to make it fun. Then it was choir, Skylar’s best class, taught by a rather abnormally tall, skinny man named Brook, who led every class with his guitar.

She was thankful when lunch finally rolled around, sitting with Nami and her group of friends. While Skylar had made friends with Law, Shachi, and Penguin freshman year, Nami had bonded with a rather rambunctious boy named Luffy. Skylar liked him well enough - the boy was incredibly kind, and his hyperactivity certainly made for some fun - but she had to admit that sometimes he was a bit much for her. Currently, he was at their lunch table, shoving whatever questionable substance that served as “meat” at this school into his mouth, yelling at another boy with a long nose to hurry up. Others at the table included her coworker, Sanji, the perpetual lost boy, Roronoa Zoro, and a younger kid named Chopper. Chopper was only about 15, but he’d been moved up to their class. 

What really surprised Skylar, though, was seeing Nami dissolving into a fit of giggles with a blue-haired girl. She was new to the group, but the look on Nami’s face told her she was pretty enamored. 

“Well damn,” Skylar muttered, cracking a smile. She plopped her tray down next to her friend, flashing a smile at the other girl. “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Skylar!” Nami glared at her. The girl smiled.

“I’m Vivi, I think I’ve seen you in my study hall before, but you don’t usually stay in the classroom.”

“Ah...yeah, I uhh, work better in a quiet environment so I usually go to an empty classroom. I’ll probably be there today though! We should sit together!”

“I’d like that!”

“Vivi-chan, if you’ll excuse us for just one second.” Nami stammered out, grabbing Skylar’s shoulder and pulled her to stand by the wall, out of earshot. “What are you doing?” She asked, with a too friendly smile on her face.

“I’m just trying to get a read on this girl that’s got one of my best friends absolutely flustered. It’s ok, Nami, she seems really sweet. I wish you luck.” Nami just blinked at her, cheeks turning pink. Skylar laughed, pulling her back to her seat. 

The rest of the day passed in a blur, including study hall, thanks to Vivi. She really was a sweetheart, and was also clearly into a certain orange-haired girl. Skylar silently declared that if Nami didn’t make a move soon, she was going to do everything she could to set them up.

Finally, the last bell rang, and Skylar found herself running out the door as quickly as she could. She just wanted to get home. Nami wasn’t waiting for her outside, but she wasn’t worried, so she began the trek home. She was only about a block or two from the school when she heard his voice, calling out to get her attention. She whirled around, surprised to see Law only a few feet away from her, nearly jogging to catch up to her.

“No,” She said, sneering and turning back around, stomping down the street.

“Skylar-ya, please talk to me,” Law looked like he was two seconds away from just grabbing her and forcing her to stay still, but Skylar didn’t care. She was still upset; she wasn’t ready to talk about this yet. Hell, she hadn’t even told Nami the whole story, just that they’d fought. Penguin and Shachi had been blowing up her phone all night trying to talk to her, even about mundane things, but she hadn’t even been able to open the group chat to respond.

“Skylar, I screwed up! Would you turn around?” He grabbed her wrist and Skylar turned abruptly, causing him to nearly knock her over.

“Fine. You’ve got 30 seconds.” He glared for only a second before rolling his eyes.

“I’m sorry, ok?” She just continued to glare at him, but her lips turned up in a smug smirk at the admission. Law grew uncomfortable.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite catch it,” Skylar said, arms crossed and foot tapping like a parent waiting for their kid to confess to breaking the lamp instead of blaming it on the dog. Law closed his eyes, huffing out a low breath.

“Don’t make me say it.” Her expression didn’t shift, and he sighed, defeated. “You were right. I did away with professional anonymity before I ever took this damn job. I should’ve kept my distance from you when I became your teacher, and if I truly had wanted to, I _would have_. Hell, I shouldn’t even have been at this school in the first place, not until you graduate at the very least, but I did it anyway, because you were right. I _am_ selfish. I strung you along, then got mad when you fell for it, as if _you_ were at fault for _my _actions. You’ve been worried this whole time about my position, but you haven’t put me in any position I didn’t put myself into first, and _I’m sorry_. You deserve better than that. I...I’d like to make it right with you, if you’ll still have me…” 

Skylar stared at him, stunned. Law wasn’t known to apologize, especially not with pretty speeches, and for his part looked incredibly uncomfortable as he shuffled on his feet; like the 21-year-old boy he was instead of the old man he pretended to be. He wouldn’t look at her, instead glaring at the sky as he waited for a response. It was touching, seeing him vulnerable for once. It was also mildly terrifying; she always thought of him as strong, solid, and him actually opening up to her like this threw that image in her head for a loop. She cracked a smile.

“So, how long did it take you to memorize all that?”

Her joke worked, as his face quickly smoothed into a grimace, groaning out a low “really?” prompting her to burst into laughter. She stepped forward, reaching up to grab his face to pull him closer. His arms wrapped around their waist, and their lips met in a soft kiss as their eyes shut, and for the first time in days, everything seemed right in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! Thank you so much for reading!  
Songs used for inspiration: When I Kissed The Teacher by ABBA, Angle Eyes by ABBA, Andante, Andante by ABBA, and honorable mention to Mr. Brightside by The Killers.
> 
> All I can say is ABBA really fits Skylar well haha I definitely recommend listening to them if you haven't already.


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